Malwarebytes bug acknowledged by the security vendor

A bug in the latest version of Malwarebytes, a popular security product for Windows, causes a number of Windows 7 devices to freeze.

The issue has already been acknowledged by the company, who says that it’s working on a patch and confirms the freezing is experienced on Malwarebytes for Windows version 3.6.1 with component package version 1.0.508.

To check the version that you are running, open Malwarebytes and then click Settings > About. Check both the Malwarebytes version and the component package version. The company says only devices with the Premium license activated are affected.

The only way to recover after the machine freezes is a hard reboot, and Malwarebytes explains there are just two different workarounds to prevent similar issues from happening again in the future.

Two temporary workarounds as fix on its way

First, you can disable Malwarebytes for Windows Web Protection and second, you can restore to the previous Malwarebytes for Windows components package version. Check the box after the jump for instructions on how to do both of these.

“We are aware of an issue involving sporadic freezes/lock-ups of machines running the latest version of Malwarebytes for Windows and Windows 7. This issue is currently being investigated and further updates will be provided in this forum topic. We apologise for the inconvenience this has caused and are working hard to identify the cause and provide a permanent solution,” Malwarebytes said.

The security vendor also explained that it’s currently looking into the matter and requested users to submit logs that would eventually help them isolate the issue and deliver a fix.

In the meantime, no other Windows versions are impacted by the bug, and users are recommended to follow the workarounds described in this article to prevent the freezing of their systems. You can also reach out to Malwarebytes for additional support should you need it.